Dave007

Two things you can possibly try---Because your bird has little ability to fly right now but still jumps constantly, you may try to find a clean sock, cut the toe area off so that it can slip on and off the bird. Make sure it's tight enough to stay snug. Slip it on the your bird's body making sure it covers the entire brast area. Make sure that wings are still free. Make sure vent area is not covered. With this on, the bleeding will lessen because that area will be covered by the cloth suppling a bit of a cushion. The idea is similar when people buy flight suits for their birds because of retention of feces. Concerning the bird constantly jumpinhg off your hand, when the bird is on the index finger, take your thumb and put it on top of the toes. That'll stop him from jumping off so quickly. It's an easy way to contain him. He will flap when startled but not go anywhere. Also very important when dealing with a jumper----it's very important that when carrying the bird around on the hand, you need to keep the bird up against your chest which will provide security and some calmness. Also, concerning that sock---it's frequently used on cockatoos who have serious chronic plucking problems. At first, all birds will try to pick it off but they eventually get used to it being on.

Well, I agree with you and Birdnut. I had them in my first bachelor apt. They were multi colored. They were sorta nice to look at after coming home from a Led Zepplin concert. Even better were the colored lights I aimed at them. Birdnut, *Like, you know where I'm coming from?* Those were the days.

Posssible Advantages of Flight Some of the advantages to keeping a parrot fully flighted within the home will be obvious, as they will be the converse of the disadvantages of wing clipping. If ever lost, the parrot is more likely to have both the stamina and the flight skills to fly back down to the owner when found. The bird is more likely to enjoy good health, both physically and mentally. There is no possibility of damage being done by a groomer who performs a bad wing clip. For the young bird who is allowed to fledge and fly, even if clipped prior to going to his new home, there will be the joyful and enthusiastic expansion of personality that occurs during fledging, provided that the period of flight allowed is several weeks in duration. Such an initial period of flight will lead to both confidence and coordination. The young parrot allowed flight will remain forever a more athletic creature, and a more enjoyable one to have around, at that. A couple of these advantages warrant closer inspection. First, the owner who keeps his parrot fully flighted is likely to be more involved with his bird. Out of necessity, he will find it necessary to do some training with the parrot, in order to protect his household furnishings and possessions. This training of flight cues is not difficult to do with a bird, and is a lot of fun for both owner and parrot. All of my parrots including 2 quakers are flighted, and each responds to the cue, "Off there!" From personal experience, I believe that flighted birds are more fun to have as companions. They are so much better able to reveal their personalities through movement of choice. Consistent with the need to teach some flight "rules," many owners of flighted parrots go so far as to teach the parrot to come when called. This is known as teaching "the recall." This becomes a huge advantage to the owner of a flighted parrot, because if the parrot ever does get loose outdoors, the owner stands a better chance of recovering the parrot because a parrot can maneuver better with a set of wings and if by chance the bird can't be retrieved, it has a better chance of survival outdoors. If he has also consistently encouraged the use of a contact call, he will have a much easier time locating the bird. It is ironic that proponents of wing clipping most often determine the necessity of this practice based upon prevention of loss. In fact, a flighted parrot who has good skills and stamina, who knows how to fly downward, who has perhaps spent time outdoors in an aviary, who comes to the recall cue, is in most cases, easier to recover. I personally believe this to be the best prevention against loss, far superior to the removal of flight. Lastly, there comes with keeping a flighted parrot a true appreciation for the keen intelligence and magical whimsy so frequently displayed by the flighted bird. Flighted parrots are often more enjoyable, since they are well able to make choices and interact with us at will. They are a lot of fun. By always keeping the birds in our midst clipped, I believe that we blind ourselves to the view and appreciation of the parrot as a flighted entity, which in some cases even leads to the abuse of the parrot. And, certainly, it allows us to hold onto the historic vision of birds as unintelligent creatures. We have all heard of the "bird brain," a most uncomplimentary label. In the end, we, as well as the birds, are the losers.

Possible Disadvantages with a Flighted Bird There are some serious considerations and some true disadvantages to keeping a flighted parrot. They are not, however, those most often alluded to by those who warn against flight. Many times we hear of the dangers of keeping parrots flighted in the home. The usual dangers cited are windows, kitchen appliances, electrical cords, the toilet, etc. In truth, however, parrots are "learning machines," quite capable of learning about windows and other household hazards. It is true, though, that the owners of flighted parrots need to be alert and aware of potential losses. Many who keep parrots believe that these birds are always on the alert, ready for an opportunity to escape. Nothing could be farther from the truth. If treated well, our parrots do not want to escape or to fly away from home. It does, however, occur frequently by accident but most people will say it was an accident. A typical scenario occurs when the owner does not pay attention to the bird's location in the room, and opens the door to walk outside. The parrot flies to the owner's shoulder as the door opens, is startled by the sudden exposure to the outdoors, and takes off in flight. Or, the parrot sees the owner outdoors and attempts to fly to the owner through an open door. Other losses through injury or death occur when a flighted parrot chooses to perch atop an open door...and someone closes the door quickly. In some cases, death comes when a transparent partition is closed, never having been closed previously. In one instance, the home had a sliding glass door that separated two rooms. This door was always open. The parrot had long been flighted and enjoyed a routine pattern of flight in the house for exercise. One day, someone closed the door. Baby parrots who are just fledging, do not, as a rule, have the muscle development that allows them to injure or kill themselves when running into windows, a fully flighted parrot, in good shape, can certainly kill himself flying into such a partition, just as wild birds do when flying into windows. Anyone who elects to keep flighted parrots can not be absent-minded. They must maintain an awareness of the parrot's location in the home at all times, travel through doorways carefully, and think through any actions likely to impact the flighted bird. For instance, the operation of a ceiling fan can mean the death of the flighted parrot, if the owner absentmindedly turns it on without thinking of the ramifications. Second, as previously stated, in order to live companionably with a flighted bird, it is necessary to provide instruction about where the bird can perch, and where it must not perch. This takes some time, effort, and patience. For those who do not enjoy animal training, or have not the time to learn appropriate techniques, wing clipping is suggested. Only the owners can make that choice. Flightedness is of no advantage to the parrot who is always kept locked in a cage in order to prevent his getting into trouble. He is better off able to climb around his cage and alternate perching sites. Another possible problem is injury by going into unknown territory. No one knows what will happen and a person can't always anticipate what the bird will do in that unknown territory. Problems may loom. Last, a disadvantage of major proportions is the difficulty of finding alternative care for the flighted birds when you must leave town. There are few care-givers who are knowledgeable enough to be able to handle a flighted parrot, and the option of leaving the bird in its cage throughout the owner's entire absence is obviously an undesirable one.

Taking Responsibility for the Flighted Parrot Without question, the owner of the flighted parrot must "step up to the plate" and learn certain training skills that will serve to keep the parrot safe. There is the chance that one day the flighted parrot will go through the doorway after the owner and become lost. Whether or not retrieval is successful may well depend upon whether the parrot has been taught the recall, has become conditioned to respond to a contact call, and knows how to fly downward. Clicker training is a good place to start with a parrot who is, or may become, flighted. Websites that provide information on how to train parrots using the clicker training method are www.clickingwithbirds.com and www.thepiratesparrrot.com. Numerous books are also in print on this subject. Some object to clicker training but if so, other methods can be looked into. I only mention one suggestion here. When keeping a flighted parrot, it is necessary for the owner to live differently, to train himself to remain aware of any possible dangers to the flighted bird. This may involve foregoing use of a ceiling fan, installing double doorways to prevent loss, taking shorter vacations, and training oneself to remain mindful of the parrot's whereabouts when out of the cage. Finally, handling issues must be given closer attention when the parrot is flighted. Either the parrot must be transported in a carrier, or trained to allow the owner to keep a thumb firmly pressed down on the bird's foot and a hand on the bird's back whenusing carriers. Many birds just don't go in on their own and that's understandable. The owner of the flighted parrot will find that this is just one of many "training issues" that will warrant attention. While this training will undoubtedly improve the parrot/human relationship, it still demands time and attention and lots of patience.

Taking Responsibility for the Clipped Parrot The decision to clip a parrot should be freely made, rather than imposed by present social customs. While much of the literature in print today regarding parrots would have you believe that it is irresponsible not to clip a parrot's wings, the fact that clipping wings is seen in other countries as almost akin to a form of abuse allows us to understand that there are no "have to's" about this issue. Each parrot is an individual, as is each owner. For some, the decision to keep the companion parrot flighted will be the best one. For others, such as homes where small children are likely to leave doors open, one of the residents tends to be absent minded, or the parrot is very territorial, it may be a very good decision to keep the companion parrot's wings clipped. If we do choose to keep our parrots clipped, then is it imperative that we take responsibility for doing so. We must learn about and come to understand the process of molting, and teach the parrot to allow an examination of his wings so that we can tell when he does need grooming and that has to do with someone else dealing with clipping. In order to prevent a "bad" wing clip, be prepared to act assertively with the groomer and specify the number of flight feathers that should be removed, because it is your bird that's being dealt with. A person who decides to do their own clipping may find that your parrot will hold it against you if you clip his wings yourself. That happens frequently and causes distrust and increases the chance of being bitten when doing it and also in the future when dealing with some other type of situation. That's when the phrase--**A grey never forgets** comes into play. And, lastly, hard work needs to be implemented to make up for the fact that the parrot can not fly. We should move him from perch to perch throughout the day, so that he has some variety, and strive to provide him with a varied number of activities through which he can exercise both his mental and physical abilities. In this situation it's possible to explore the "gray" areas of flight. For some parrots, it might be a good idea to allow the parrot a few weeks of full flight each year after the annual molt if it does have a set of wings during that molting time, before clipping him back very gradually. This should help to keep him physically fit but others don't feel that way.

Tarm Any type of non-see through item such as a curtain or other similar thing would be good in your situation. Just make sure it's really easy for you to open up when you're finished. If you do use that, make sure your bird doesn't get startled by the opening and closing. They should slide easily from left to right. You'll need to practice. Some people even use a long type of covering which is actually strings of beads that hang down. I've seen them in different colors. As long as anything you put on can be seen by the bird, it'll serve as a deterrant. Other people use curtains or beads in areas that have a large doorway leading outside of a house such as into a backyard( good idea if your bird lives in that room).

Well, as long as you feel that you have a happy bird who totally enjoys the lifestyle he's involved in, doesn't have major issues, is given as much freedom as is possible, can still fly but not verrtically, has in general a good personality. then you seem to have no worries. etc. Yes many are against clipping for very legitimate reasons and it's also many owners of loads of birds who are the ones who speak about the downside of clipping. It's not just a general consensus. That goes for here, on other boards, in Europe etc. No one said you were irresponsible nor will anyone say it now. There's others here and other places that have clipped birds who haven't had any problems BUT there's many here and other places who have clipped birds and serious bad things are happening with those birds and it definitely points towards the bird being clipped. One thing you should understand and it's got nothing to do with being responsible------- """"""They said that any responsible bird owner should do this because if some accident were to happen and they were to escape, they would most likely starve and suffer a slow death out in the environment. """"" Actually, it's just the opposite. When a clipped bird is outside it can definitely fly and that's when accidents happen because the bird is clipped. It can only partially get away and be prone to the bad environment around it. A clipped bird can't fly downward from a branch in a tree. If it can't fly upward, a critter may get it. There's other reasons many people think and know that clipping is bad. So I agree with you. In your situation because you have an clipped bird, having to be very watchful is necessary. Look at it from a different way---a person owns a cat, decides to have the cat declawed, the cat gets lost or takes off. Does that cat really have a good chance of survival outside?? Also know that people here and other places who own unclipped birds are extremely responsible owners. They also didn't notice anything in particular that was different about their clipped bird until the flight feathers came back. Then, a whole new aspect of the bird showed itself and people said that clipping was a thing of the past.

It's always good to know all aspects of owning a parrot, especially a grey. African Greys are well known for their intelligence, problem solving skills, and especially their talking ability. They're well known for their talking abilities (note: not every African grey will talk!!). A subspecies is the timneh African grey. That bird also talks but has a different personality. If you want a bird that loves to roll around and play or loves to cuddle, then an African Grey probably isn't for you. They love to be around but they lose their cuddliness by the time they reach adolescence. They are also known for their sensitivity and resistance to change. For this reason I consider them a parrot for advanced bird owners. They may be prone to feather plucking and can generally get upset over the smallest of changes, including you wearing certain clothes, someone new placed in the room, you entering the room too quickly, etc. It doesn't apply to every grey but you'll see loads of people having this problem with african greys as opposed to other species. They have to be given an extra amount of hygiene because of their skin. It is important that an African Grey to be very adaptable to change when it's a baby and get it use to new things frequently without upsetting it. And you need to put new toys in the cage frequently, otherwise it will get bored. But you will probably need to introduce the toys slowly to get him use to it. Like all birds, they are messy. Of course, this is in general, every bird is different. Because of all this, make sure you do TONS AND TONS of research before buying an African Grey parrot. Also meet some in person/people and discuss all things concerning greys. If you have family, they also need to be very involved with your grey. You would want the bird to get along with as many in the family as possible. You need to know exactly what you are getting into. All parrots need the following things: * A large cage with a variety of toys * A varied diet, including vegetables each day * Much interaction time with you outside the cage each day. He should be out of his cage for *at least* a few hours a day. I hope that helps!

Most of the time when a person babysits a bird, the bird should be kept in it's cage, fed, watered, talked to, have music put on, make sure all the regular toys are in the cage. You can't build up any relationship with a bird that's pretty well bonded to someone else in such a short amount of time. There are professional bird sitters that come to a person's house or have the bird brought to a sitter and that's the method used. It's the same method that's used when a person brings a bird to a vet who has a side business of bird sitting. The bird won't suffer. If this person hasn't been successful in having the bird's relationship changed with others in the house over a long period of time, I doubt that it'll change in a short amount of time.

Why do you ask? Is something wrong with the bird? What makes you think something is amiss with the weight? Formula feeding has nothing to do with keeping the weight regular or high. It has to do with feeding the proper food at the proper time and then weaning. When a bird starts refusing a certain amount of formula, that means that other food is added and the amount of formula feedings is decreased. That's referred to as weaning. Unless you're buying an unhealthy bird, there should be no weight problem. A CAG or TAG weighs more as a baby and as it gets older the weight decreases and that happens when the bird is regularly active. A TAG should be around 315 to 230 gms at the full growth depending upon body size. Regimen? that's basically feeding the bird all he wants whenever he wants and giving a mixed diet. Introduce to the house?--Well, you first bring him home, put him in a cage, let him get used to his new home, don't be sticking your fingers in the cage and annoying him as he gets used to things. Talk to him, relax around him and let him see what the the daily habits are in the house. I may be wrong here but I get the feeling that you're buying a bird without learning basic information first. A person can't guess about what to do with a bird and then learn all about the basics after the fact.

That's not quite normal. There shouldn't be so much white area. Beaks peel but still stay black or a very dark scratchy gray color. On the other hand, your bird could have been rubbing againt rough surfaces at the same time he losing the top layer. And, as you said, the whole thing could be diagnosed incorrectly because of the photo quality. Keep an eye on that area and if those white areas don't start darkening, go to the vet and have it checked. Exact answers can't be given here about a possible medical situation.

Introduce the Aviator Harness when your bird is still a baby--( approx 16/17/18 wks old) The majority of people introducing an older bird ( 1 yr old and older) have very little luck. That doesn't apply to every single older bird but don't take a chance. You can introduce the bird to the harness and not do anything. Just make sure he'll let you put it on and take it off. Older birds can get nasty and most squawk or bite. You should have no problem but expect your bird to be a little obstinent at first.

I can only say that what's written there has nothing to do with the situation that you're talking about. That's referring to weeks at a time. Going away for a day or two is no big deal if you remember that a person needs to come around and feed and water the bird if you're away for a very long time. Some people overload cages with food and water and the water will go bad after a few days. Dust, dander, dirt can get into the water and on top of the food. If you're gonna be away for 5 to 7 days, you need to have someone look in on the bird, give it what it needs, stay a bit and let the bird know that there's human beings around. Maybe your girlfriend can do that. Loads of parrot owners need to go away for a day or two. What you're referring to is the same as a person who has to leave for 24 hrs or so. So, not to worry, that rule has to do with extremes. What you're talking about isn't extreme. Some people bring a bird to a sitter if they're gonna be gone for a week or more. Others have a trusted friend who will take care of the bird by visiting, feeding.

Water bottles---my opinion is that they're not good because water that sits in a bottle will eventually calcify at the bottom where the ball is making the ball a bit stiff and not as moveable. Calcified water isn't good for ant parrot. That's not the type of water they drink in the wild. I really don't think a bottle is a natural thing because some birds like to soak their food in bowls before eating. Yes, it's messy but the water has to be changed 1 or 2 times a day anyway. Some birds won't eat a variety of foods unless they're wet. Some other greys like to jump in the bowl to get a little bath. No matter how many times a person bathes a bird, that bird will do that. Aviator Harness---in the upper right hand corner, there's a small retangular area with the words--ADVANCED SEARCH under it. Type in Aviator Harness and loads of info will pop up.

Different species of parrots have different types of personalities which show themselves as a bird gets older. Remember what I said about that clingy bird--I was referring to a Cockatoo. A TOO is happiest if the owner allows the bird to stay on it's shoulder all day long. Many times, keeping that type of bird in a cage all the time creates a psychotic, mean tempered bird who will bite. They will also scream much more and being enclosed will make them seriously pluck. That's the normal personality. That's why they're called *clingy* birds. A grey is a different type of bird. When a grey is a baby, he's very cuddly, cute, extremely affectionate. People love that type of bird. As the bird gets older, nature takes over and the true natural personality comes out. As adults, greys can be aloof, not wanna be bothered by lots of things, likes to stay still in or on a cage and the bird looks like it's studying the world's problems. People mistake that aloofnerss and think it's unfriendly. People take it as a personal thing but nothing is happening that has to do with love and affection. As they get older, they show definite signs of independence. It doesn't take much to amuse them. They're also strong willed. When they don't wanna be held, they'll let you know. Again, a person takes that personally and again it has nothing to do with relationships. The growing up process happens to all greys. All the cuddling and touching of different places on a baby becomes a sexual stimulation when done to an older bird and much of that has to be curtailed. THAT is personal. Greys and other species shouldn't be touched in certain areas which can cause sexual stimulation. It doesn't mean that you can't touch or pet the bird.Later on, you'll fing out exactly what to do or not to do if you decide to come back to this board to become part of the family. Biting-----a grey will bite when some of the things above aren't followed including that sexual stimulation. Compare that to you girlfriend of 25 yrs ago who left you hanging just before the big moment. Pissed you off to no end. Right? Well, do that to a grey often enough and when you stop, the bird will bite you. ****I am really looking for a bird I really can handle not just step on my hand. Am I expecting to much ?????**** A grey is the the type of bird that will give you what you want but not 24 hrs a day. They need their time to themselves in order to amuse themselves, exersise themselves, study things. Basically, they're not *clingy birds* as they grow up. Different species means different personalities. Different species have loads of different personalities and you simply have to deal with one type here. The worst thing that people do when a grey gets older and does the above things is to blame themselves because they feel that the bird doesn't care for them--absolutely untrue. There's things to be avoided when owning a parrot like putting food in your mouth and letting the parrot eat the other end--eventually, the person gets accidently bitten or the bird can get sick. Shoulders----some greys can be put on shoulders with no problems. Others will be put on the shoulders and the bird proceeds to bite jewelry, earlobes, collars of shirts and sometimes the skin of a person--does that mean the bird is being nasty or unloving? No. It simply means that a person owns a bird that can't be left on a shoulder. All of this is very natural. There's shoulder birds and non shoulder birds The good thing about greys is that there's a list called Bird Language which, after being studied, will tell a person all about what the bird is intending to do be it friendliness, not wanting to be bothered, getting ready to bite if a person persists in annoying the bird., wanting to be scratched, held and cuddled . The grey species is one of the few that has this language list. The grey personality is complex. In the parrot world, they're considered very smart. Some people compare them to very young human children. There's more to say but for now, these basic things should give you an idea about what you're buying. I don't think you'll have a problem her. After all, I have no idea what you knew about concerning your past greys. I can only speak of the present and the future.

Well, you've conquered the first major problem which is to NOT buy unweaned birds. Even in areas where that practice is allowed, it's a terrible thing when breeders try to sell unweaned birds to people. Many people have little experience dealing with the chores involved in the raising of unweaned chicks. ****No way would she let a un weaned bird go, you could tell she realy cares about her birds.***** The breeder who does that has less of a chance to sell inferior quality birds. The customer walks away very contented. Most of the time, there's no problems and a good breeder will allow you to ask questions way after you've purchased a bird. Most breeders are happy to do that and the customer feels very secure with their purchase. ****I was unable to pick a bird i could not get any to interact with me. ***** I think you're making premature judgements about a bird not taking to you yet. I'd bet anything that after you get a baby bird, your relationship with that bird will flourish very well. Just so that I don't confuse you---that bird that took to her may not be as sweet as he/she grows up. The bird will care for your girlfriend but you need to realize that a grey's personality is constantly changing. They don't stay cuddly all their lives. Basically, as they get older, they become more aloof. That's the nature of greys and that'll happen to your bird too. It has absolutely nothing to do with love or attachments to the owner. Other specoies are exactly the opposite. Some wanna stay on a person 24 hrs a day and that can become a pain in the ass. ***I'm a bit worried that me and grey just don't get on.**** Again, you're worrying too much about the wrong thing. When a bird is separated from a clutch, it's focus is totally on the new owner. Some chicks just feel more comfortable in the beginning when they're in a clutch. It's nothing to do with you. I never said your spelling was bad----I just wanted to know if you were the one in the nest. Maybe you needed some hand feeding? Were you getting a proper diet??

****I'm going to buy two. One she will have with her all the time and one for me. (we both have kids)*** Excellent situation. Each of you will get to know your birds without interference or distractions. Each bird needs to form a bond with their owner. 2 birds together won't allow that to happen. ******I think Grey's are still the best choice.****** Very good thinking especially since you've had past experience with greys You get an A for your good choice. *****Buying from a breed this time not a pet shop.***** Excellent idea. you'll have more contact with your future housemate and that's the first step in knowing about that individual bird. Pet shops don't usually allow that. *****How do I choose the best birds ???***** Many people will say that when you approch a clutch of baby birds, wait for one of them to come to you. Supposedly that will tell a person that the bird likes them. I don't believe this at all. One day, a person can visit a clutch and none of the baby birds may be interested in walking over to anyone or they may just finished eating and may be asleep. Or they may be doing something that's involving each other. The trick is to find a clutch of healthy birds and pick one out. Health is more important than a bird who's walking to you. *****Do I want two males if possible ??***** Two males, two females, one male, one female---it doesn't make any difference. One sex isn't better than the other. ******Do they want to me out of same nest ??***** Don't really understand your question. You're in a nest? *****They will spend time together. We both understand how demanding parrots are so they wont be left out of family life.******* That's fine but each must have it's own cage. Two birds in one cage doesn't allow a person to see the full scope and personality of each bird plus because each designs their own home in their individual cage, there's a very good chance that jealousy will show up. Greys are known as jealous birds whether they're related or not. *****One breeder is trying to get us to take two at 8-10 weeks is this a NO NO ??***** A BIG NO NO. All baby parrots should be fully weaned before being sold and it takes much longer than 10 weeks to wean them. You may think about putting a deposit on those birds. Forgive me but if I read carefully, You're from the UK and it's against the law to sell unweaned parrots in the UK. That's what I know and many people here from the UK will say the same thing.

Welcome to our board As far as age, if your bird's eyes are surrounded by a white circle, there's no way to tell the age other than it's an adult. A previous owner might be able to tell you that. As far as the sex, the only guaranteed way to find that out is by taking the bird to an avian vet who will perform a certain painless test. As far as taking the bird from one country to another, you'll have to contact organizations that deal with importion/exportation. We have certain laws here in the US that don't allow birds into here from other countries. Endangered species? No. It's just that certain species of parrots are harder to find and may not be as popular in certain countries. As an example---Scotland. It's extremely hard to get a grey and if a person does find one, they're extremely expensive.

The list was put into the most visited section on this board which is the Grey Lounge. There are things that don't even belong in the Grey Lounge and that's because many people don't seek out other sections here that deal with certain subjects. Every time a person be it a new person or regular member can see the post as well as other posts that are stickys.

Much has been said about punishment and abuse. It's the main topic in this thread. Not much more can be told to people as far as avoiding it. Everyone knows it's not the way to do things and just about every form of abuse is talked about on many places but there's sub divisions of abuse and punishment which aren't as drastic but they definitely belong in this thread. Those are 1---intentional neglect 2---unintentional neglect. Intentional neglect that I speak about here is that with one, the owners are acting out of ignorance and these people have decided that a parrot is a second class citizen from the get go. Intentional neglect has to do with a person( usually intelligent) who gets a parrot after checking out visual pictures and basic facts about a parrot. Much of what they've heard of is basivally hearsay. Those visuals usually have nothing to do with parrots and their life style. As far as they're concerned, the parrot looks attractive. Size of the bird means nothing. Cage size means nothing. Proper prime food means nothing. The people look at movies and see that a parrot is in a movie. Usually, the parrot is in an undersized cage. The potential owner sees it and decides to imitate what he/she has seen. End of further investigation. The person has no idea about interaction with the parrot. After all, the person has never seen any interaction with people in those movies. The person has no desire to purchase any written material concerning the parrot. He simply doesn't care because he's about to feed and water the parrot. Food---The person knows that he/she has to feed some type of food that has the word *parrot* on it. Good or bad quality food is given quite by accident. One day a person grabs a good parrot mix, the next time a bad mix. Does the person try to find out what's good or bad? Rarely. Most of the time, the person winds up in a store that has parrot mix along with a million other groceries. In other words, a supermarket. The price is right, the word *parrot* is on the package so as far as feeding, the problem is solved. Because no investigation of different things a parrot should eat hasn't been done, the parrot winds up being fed an incomplete diet. The only other types of foof that are given to the parrot other than the one described above, is when the owner is in a good mood and decides to feed scraps of his/her meal. If the bird eats, fine. If not the owner really doesn't care and won't feed the bird that item again. The very frequent thing that DOES happen is that the owner is annoyed because of the mess that's made by that food and the possible odor that the food creates. Many times, that's what will stimulate the owner to finally change the tray. The bird is usually kept in that cage for years. The owner won't get rid of it because it's part of the decor. Friends who come over love to see a colorful parrot standing still in a wrong sized cage with no play toys or other items that the parrot may be interested in. The owner's main thing is that the parrot looks nice. Usually, an owner like that doesn't have to worry about aggression because there's basically no physical contact with the bird. No contact, no biting. A bird like this usually becomes cage bound and introverted. At one point it loses all desire to act like a parrot. He's in a jail cell and has accepted the fact that the sentence in that jail cell will be for a long time. This type of bird who may be given to another person more than likely will keep that personality. It takes with it what's called extreme baggage, extreme history. The new owner has very little chance of reshaping that bird into a jolly bird who will accept a new family. Many times, the family is disappointed and the bird is off to a shelter/adoption agency. It's not the new family's fault. This is called intentional neglect. ==================================================================== Unintentional neglect usually has to do with a person/persons who have taken over the ownership of a bird ( usually an adult ) and is also ignorant of the many things and the lifestyles of parrots. Usually, it takes quite a while for the person/persons to see that problems exist. Usually, people will then try to find out some information about parrots but unfortunately, they run into so many different opinions by so called professionals which leaves them confused. For a while, these people will try all of these methods but many times, are unsuccessful because of conflicting information by people who say that their way is the right way. The family is basically experimenting with things that may be good. After a while these people start to hope that some of the things that were tried out but not accepted by the bird will eventually be accepted by the bird even though the people have stopped the experiments. Almost all of the time, it doesn't work. The bird has been given freedom, good food, plenty of mind distracting items, possible physical interaction, a family in which all have tried make a connection but there was little success. At that point, the owners feel that they've totally lost the battle. According to them,they've failed. They tried to change things over a long period of time, all with no luck or good results. But no matter what the problem/problems are, the owners still believe that others will have more luck with that bird. The people then investigate places ( both public shelters and private people who are hoarders)) that they've heard of which promise a better life for the bird. The bird will definitely learn how to be a bird. But really, no investigation is made because as far as the owners are concerned, they didn't know that an investigation was warranted. There are many things that can be wrong with that type of bird when it originally arrived the homes. These are some but there's many more. 1--biting 2--unusual aggression 3--not wanting contact with people 4--not being able to fly 5--past injuries that weren't treated properly 6--being too extroverted 7 --being too introverted 8---not accepting a basic good diet 9---unusual mutilation 10--erratic changes in personality Yes, this is a grey forums board, but I guarantee you that this happens lto many species of parrots. I've seen it first hand. The only difference is the intensity of these problems. This is called unintentional neglect but both types of neglect can have dire effects on a parrot. Actually in all of my years of dealing with all types of parrots, I really haven't seen too many cases of long term abuse by owners no matter what kind of bird was involved but what I have seen is that the abused bird becomes the abuser. A parrot doesn't forget and constantly reminds the person that it's his/her turn to have the upper hand. Again, another owner or shelter or adoption area usually is the solution be it wrong or right.

First, have a light nearby. Get ahold of your bird. Put the bird about 15-20 from your bird and look into the nostril just behind the edge. Check and see if you see any redness or irritations. Whether there's some irritation or not, use a damp cloth or paper napkin and wipe off the area and don't dry it because more than likely, the area is already dry. Do this about 3 to 4 times during the day even if you don't see your bird scratching the area. Do it for 3 to 4 days. The problem should be solved. many times tiny particles of dander/dust get in and get stuck because of the moisture in the nostril. PS-----don't stick any aloe gel or aloe juice up your birds nose. That material is for exterior use. Aloe gel will make more things stick in the nostril/nostrils.

Last Saturday? It's gonna take quite a while for each bird to get used to each other. It may even turn out that they won't like each other or will be a great pair or may not care one way or another. Greys are known to be one of the well known jealous birds in the parrot kingdom. Your new bird may be upsetting the apple cart right now but since it's only been since June that you've had the other one, it's possible that Zoe not only has to get used to you and the family but now another thing has been added. A bird who has been in 5 homes will need a long time to get used to things even though you may think she's totally settled in. A bird who's been rehomed a few times is leery about all new things that haven't happened in the past. Then you have personality--CAGs and TAGs have different personalities and it takes time for each one to get used to each other. Why she bit your wife, no one can be accurate with an answer but it would be best to let these birds get used to each other's presence. If you've established some type of a routine with Zoe, ie feeding, cleaning, giving treats etc continue that and make sure she's the first bird that you pay attention to. See how it goes. Zoe has her eye on the TAG and may not want interuptions or distractions from you and your wife. Let her come to you. At least you you'll know she's not coming overto bite you or your wife. It'll take time for each bird to settle in and find their place in your home.